Yes Windows 8 was a mess, and the Xbox One's early days were embarrassing, but Microsoft's been sharpening its game with impressive deftness and speed. And now it is once again, hands down, the most exciting company in tech.

It started as an offhand brag, but turned into a dare. I was telling my Gizmodo colleagues why I loved my Windows 8 tablet.. Hell, I said, I could probably hook it up to a monitor and use it as my workhorse for a week.